Page 1 The author assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions that may appear in this document nor does the author make a commitment to up date the information contained herein. Third-party brands and names are the property of their respective owners. Please do not remove any labels on motherboard, this may void the warranty of this motherboard.
Page 3: Declaration Of Conformity
Declaration of Conformity We, Manufacturer/Importer (full address) G.B.T. Technology Träding GMbH Ausschlager Weg 41, 1F, 20537 Hamburg, Germany declare that the product ( description of the apparatus, system, installation to which it refers) Mother Board GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP is in conformity with...
Page 4 DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY Per FCC Part 2 Section 2.1077(a) Responsible Party Name: G.B.T. INC. (U.S.A.) Address: 17358 Railroad Street City of Industry, CA 91748 Phone/Fax No: (818) 854-9338/ (818) 854-9339 hereby declares that the product Product Name: Motherboard Model Number:...
Page 5 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP AMD Socket A Processor Motherboard USER’S MANUAL ™ ™ ™ AMD Athlon / Athlon XP / Duron Socket A Processor Motherboard Rev. 1101 12ME-7VRX-1101...
Page 6: Table Of Contents
WARNING! ....................8 Chapter 1 Introduction ................9 Summary of Features .................. 9 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Layout ..........11 Chapter 2 Hardware Installation Process ..........12 Step 1: Install the Central Processing Unit (CPU)........13 Step1-1: CPU Speed Setup .................... 13 Step1-2: CPU Installation ....................
Page 7 Table of Content Load Optimized Defaults ................45 Integrated Peripherals ................46 Hardware Monitor & MISC Setup .............. 51 Set Supervisor / User Password ..............53 IDE HDD Auto Detection ................54 Save & Exit Setup ..................55 Exit Without Saving ..................56 Chapter 4 Technical Reference ............
Page 8: Item Checklist
GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Item Checklist CD for motherboard driver & utility The GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP motherboard GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP user’s manual IDE cable x 1/ Floppy cable x 1(7VRX) USB Cable (only for GA-7VRXP) IDE cable x 3/ Floppy cable x 1(7VRXP) WARNING! Computer motherboards and expansion cards contain very delicate Integrated Circuit (IC) chips. To protect them against damage from static electricity, you should follow some precautions whenever you work on your computer.
Page 9: Chapter 1 Introduction
Introduction Chapter 1 Introduction Summary of Features Form Factor 30.5cm x 23.5cm ATX size form factor, 4 layers PCB. Motherboard GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Socket A processor AMD Athlon /Athlon XP/ Duron (K7) 128K L1 & 256K/64K L2 cache on die 200/266MHz FSB and DDR bus speeds Supports 1.4GHz and faster...
Page 10 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Hardware Monitor CPU/System Fan Revolution detect CPU/System temperature detect System Voltage Detect On-Board Sound Creative CT5880 Sound Chipset* Sigmatel 9721T CODEC Line In/Line Out/Mic In/CD In/Game Port On-Board RAID* Onbard Promise PDC20276 Supports data striping (RAID 0) or mirroring (RAID 1)
Page 11: Ga-7Vrx/Ga-7Vrxp Motherboard Layout
PDC20276* AC97** SC** PCI2 VT8233ACE CT5880* PCI3 #CI (Optional) #CLR_CMOS PCI4 VIA VT6202 Backup MAIN F_PANEL BIOS BIOS 8100BL* PCI5 F_USB1 F_USB4 F_USB3 USB 2.0 "*" Only for GA-7VRXP. "**" Only for GA-7VRX. "#" Only for GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP PCB Ver.1.1 use.
Page 12: Chapter 2 Hardware Installation Process
GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Chapter 2 Hardware Installation Process To set up your computer, you must complete the following setps: Step 1- Set Dip Switch (CK_RATIO) and system Switch (SW1) Step 2- Install the Central Processing Unit (CPU) Step 3- Install memory modules...
Page 13: Step 1: Install The Central Processing Unit (Cpu)
Hardware Installation Process Step 1: Install the Central Processing Unit (CPU) Step1-1: CPU Speed Setup The clock ratio can be switched by CK_RATIO and refer to below table. CLK_RATIO O: ON / X :OFF RATIO AUTO(Default) X 5.5x 6.5x 7.5x 8.5x 9.5x Default Setting : Auto...
Page 14: Step1-2: Cpu Installation
GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Step1-2: CPU Installation CPU Top View CPU Bottom View Socket Actuation Lever Pin1 indicator 2. Locate Pin 1 in the socket and look 1. Pull up the CPU socket lever for a (golden) cut edge on the CPU and up to 90-degree angle.
Page 15: Step1-3:Cpu Heat Sink Installation
Hardware Installation Process Step1-3:CPU Heat Sink Installation 2. Use qualified fan approved by AMD. 1. Press down the CPU socket lever and finish CPU installation. 3. Fasten the heatsink supporting-base 4. Make sure the CPU fan is onto the CPU socket on the main- plugged to the CPU fan con- board.
Page 16: Step 2: Install Memory Modules
GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Step 2: Install memory modules The motherboard has 3 dual inline memory module(DIMM) sockets. The BIOS will automatically detects memory type and size. To install the memory module, just push it vertically into the DIMM Slot. The DIMM module can only fit in one direction due to the notch. Memory size can vary between sockets.
Page 17: Ddr Introduction
Hardware Installation Process 1. The DIMM slot has a notch, so the DIMM memory module can only fit in one direction. 2. Insert the DIMM memory module verticallyinto the DIMM slot. Then push it down. 3. Close the plastic clip at both edges of theDIMM slots to lock the DIMM module.
Page 18: Step 3: Install Expansion Cards
GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Step 3: Install expansion cards 1. Read the related expansion card’s instruction document before install the expansion card into the computer. 2. Remove your computer’s chassis cover, screws and slot bracket from the computer. 3. Press the expansion card firmly into expansion slot in motherboard.
Page 19: Step 4: Connect Ribbon Cables, Cabinet Wires, And Power Supply
Hardware Installation Process Step 4: Connect ribbon cables, cabinet wires, and power supply Step4-1:I/O Back Panel Introduction PS/2 Keyboard and PS/2 Mouse Connector This connector supports standard PS/2 keyboard PS/2 Mouse Connector and PS/2 mouse. (6 pin Female) PS/2 Keyboard Connector (6 pin Female) USB &...
Page 20: Audio Connectors
GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Parallel Port , Serial Ports (COMA / COMB) Parallel Port (25 pin Female) This connector supports 2 standard COM ports ,1 Parallel port . Device like printer can be con nected to Parallel port ; mouse and modem etc can be connected to Serial ports.
Page 21: Step4-2: Connectors Introduction
C) Floppy/IDE1/IDE2 K) F_USB1,3,4 D) ATX L) WOL E/E1)SC/SD/MS* / SC** M) IR F) IDE3/IDE4* N) CD_IN G) Battery O) F_AUDIO H) CI# P) NB_FAN "*" Only for GA-7VRXP. "**" Only for GA-7VRX. "#" Only for GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP PCB Ver.1.1 use.
Page 22 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard A) CPU_FAN (CPU_FAN Connector) B) SYS_FAN (SYS_FAN Connector) The CPU fan connector supports Max. current up to 600 mA . D) ATX (ATX Power) +12V 5V SB (Stand by +5V) Power Good PS-ON(Soft On/Off) 3.3V -12V 3.3V 3.3V AC power cord should only be connected to your power supply unit after ATX power cable and other related devices are firmly connected to the mainboard.
Page 23 Hardware Installation Process K) F_USB1,3,4 M) IR (F_USB3 & 4 connectors in orange are for USB 2.0) Be careful with the polarity of the IR connector while you connect the IR. Please contact you nearest dealer for optional IR device. Be careful with the polarity of the front panel F) IDE3/IDE4 Connector (RAID/ATA133)* USB connector.
Page 24 (There is either function of SD and MS can be used.) SC (2x5pin--7VRXP) SC (2x7pin--7VRX) H ) CI (Case Open) P ) NB_FAN Only for GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP PCB Ver. 1.1 use. Signal I) CLR_CMOS: Clear CMOS 1-2 close: Clear CMOS Only for GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP 2-3 close: Normal(Default) PCB Ver.
Page 25: 2X7 Pins Jumper
Hardware Installation Process J ) F_PANEL (2x7 pins jumper) HD (IDE Hard Disk Active LED) Pin 1: LED anode(+) Pin 2: LED cathode(-) SPK (Speaker Connector) Pin 1: VCC(+) Pin 2- Pin 3: NC Pin 4: Data(-) RST (Reset Switch) Open: Normal Operation Close: Reset Hardware System PD+/PD_G/PD_Y(Power LED) Pin 1: LED anode(+)
Page 26: Chapter 3 Bios Setup
GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Chapter 3 BIOS Setup BIOS Setup is an overview of the BIOS Setup Program. The program that allows users to modify the basic system configuration. This type of information is stored in battery-backed CMOS RAM so that it retains the Setup information when the power is turned off.
Page 27: The Main Menu (For Example: Bios Ver. :F4)
BIOS Setup GETTING HELP Main Menu The on-line description of the highlighted setup function is displayed at the bottom of the screen. Status Page Setup Menu / Option Page Setup Menu Press F1 to pop up a small help window that describes the appropriate keys to use and the possible selections for the highlighted item.
Page 28 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Power Management Setup This setup page includes all the adjustable items of Green function features. PNP/PCI Configurations This setup page includes all the adjustable configurations of PCI & PnP ISA resources. Load Fail-Safe Defaults Load Fail-Safe Defaults option loads preset system parameter values to set the system in its most stable configurations.
Page 29: Standard Cmos Features
BIOS Setup Standard CM OS Features AMIBIOS SETUP - STANDARD CMOS SETUP ( C ) 1999 American Megatrends, Inc. All Rights Reserved Date (mm/dd/yyyy) : Fri Mar 16, 2001 Time (hh/mm/ss) : 14:44:35 TYPE SIZE CYLS HEAD PRECOMP LANDZ SECTOR MODE Pri Master : Auto Pri Slave : Auto...
Page 30 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard ?Time The times format in <hour> <minute> <second>. The time is calculated base on the 24-hour mi l itary- time clock. For example, 1 p.m. is 13:00:00. ?Primary Master, Slave / Secondary Master, Slave The category identifies the types of hard disk from drive C to F that has been installed in the computer.
Page 31: Boot Sector Virus Protection
BIOS Setup ?Boot Sector Virus Protection If it is set t o enable, the category will flash on the screen when there is any attempt to wri t e to the boot sector or partition table of the hard disk drive. The system will halt and the f o llowing error message will appear in the mean time.
Page 32: Bios Features Setup
GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard BIOS Features Setup AMIBIOS SETUP - BIOS FEATURES SETUP ( C ) 1999 American Megatrends, Inc. All Rights Reserved 1st Boot Device : Floppy 2nd Boot Device : IDE-0 3rd Boot Device : CDROM S.M.A.R.T. for Hard Disks...
Page 33: Password Check
BIOS Setup ?S.M.A.R.T. for Hard Disks Enable HDD S.M.A.R.T. Capability. ?Enabled Disable HDD S.M.A.R.T. Capability. (Default value) ?Disabled ?Interrupt Mode Through IOAPIC generate more IRQ for system use.(Default value) ?APIC Use AT stantard IRQ controlles to generate IRQ. ?PIC When you already have I OAPIC enable system and want to upgrade the system please note, since running an IOAPIC enabled OS (like Windows NT ,Windows 2000, Windows XP...) system with none IOAPIC HW support will cause the system to hang.
Page 34 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard ?BIOS Flash Protection This field lets you determine the states that flash BIOS. BIOS enables flash write access automatically when updating BIOS data/ ?Auto DMI/ESCD. (Default Value) During POST, DMI/ESCD would not be updated. But flash tools can update ?Enabled BIOS always.
Page 35: Chipset Features Setup
BIOS Setup Chipset Features Setup AMIBIOS SETUP - CHIPSET FEATURES SETUP ( C ) 1999 American Megatrends, Inc. All Rights Reserved Top Performance :Disabled Fast Command :Ultra Configure SDRAM by SPD :Enabled SDRAM Frequency :Auto SDRAM CAS# Latency SDRAM Command Rate :1T Command AGP Mode AGP Comp.
Page 36: Dram Frequency
GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard ?Configure SDRAM by SPD Disabled Configure SDRAM Timing by SPD. ?Disabled Enabled Configure SDRAM Timing by SPD. (Default Value) ?Enabled ?DRAM Frequency ?266MH z Set DRAM Frequency is 266MH z. ?333MH z Set DRAM Frequency is 333MH z.
Page 37: Agp Aperture Size
BIOS Setup ?AGP Aperture Size Set AGP Aperture Size to 4MB. ?4MB Set AGP Aperture Size to 8 MB. ?8MB Set AGP Aperture Size to 16 MB. ?16MB Set AGP Aperture Size to 32 MB. ?32MB Set AGP Aperture Size to 64 MB. ?64MB Set AGP Aperture Size to 128 MB.
Page 38 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard ? USB Port 64/60 Emulation T o use USB mouse under Win NT environment, set USB Legacy Support to ?Enabled KB/Mouse/FDD and USB Port 64/60 Emulation to enabled. Disable this Function. (Default Value) ?Disabled...
Page 39: Power Management Setup
BIOS Setup Pow er M anagement Setup AMIBIOS SETUP - POWER MANAGEMENT SETUP ( C ) 1999 American Megatrends, Inc. All Rights Reserved ACPI Standby State :S1/POS RTC Alarm Date USB Dev Wakeup From S3-S5 :Disabled RTC Alarm Hour Suspend Time Out(Minute) :Disabled RTC Alarm Minute :30 IRQ3...
Page 40 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard ? Suspend Time Out (Minute.) Disabled Suspend Time Out Function. (Default Value) ?Disabled Enabled Suspend Time Out after 1min. Enabled Suspend Time Out after 2min. Enabled Suspend Time Out after 4min. Enabled Suspend Time Out after 8min. Enabled Suspend Time Out after 10min.
Page 41 BIOS Setup ? Modem Ring On/Wake On LAN Disabled Resume On Ring / LAN. ?Disabled Enabled Resume On Ring / LAN. (Default Value) ?Enabled ? PME Event Wake Up Disable PME Event Wake Up. ?Disabled Enabled PME Event Wake Up. (Default Value) ?Enabled ? Keyboard Wakeup From ?S1(Suspend) Keyboard is able to Wakeup the system from S1(Suspend) state.
Page 42: Pnp/Pci Configuration
GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard PNP/PCI Configuration AMIBIOS SETUP - PNP/PCI CONFIGURATION ( C ) 1999 American Megatrends, Inc. All Rights Reserved VGA Boot From : AGP PCI Slot 1/5 IRQ Priority : Auto PCI Slot 2 IRQ Priority : Auto PCI Slot 3 IRQ Priority...
Page 43 BIOS Setup The system wil l reserved IRQ7 f o r PCI sl o t 1/5, 2, 3, 4 device if no legacy ISA device using IRQ7. The system wil l reserved IRQ9 f o r PCI sl o t 1/5, 2, 3, 4 device if no legacy ISA device using IRQ9.
Page 44: Load Fail-Safe Defaults
GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Load Fail-Safe Defaults AMIBIOS SIMPLE SETUP UTILITY - VERSION 1.24k (C) 1999 American Megatrends, Inc. All Rights Reserved STANDARD CMOS SETUP INTEGRATED PERIPHERALS BIOS FEATURES SETUP HARDWARE MONITOR & MISC SETUP CHIPSET FEATURES SETUP SUPERVISOR PASSWORD POWER MANAGEMENT SETUP...
Page 45: Load Optimized Defaults
BIOS Setup Load Optimized Defaults AMIBIOS SIMPLE SETUP UTILITY - VERSION 1.24k (C) 1999 American Megatrends, Inc. All Rights Reserved STANDARD CMOS SETUP INTEGRATED PERIPHERALS BIOS FEATURES SETUP HARDWARE MONITOR & MISC SETUP CHIPSET FEATURES SETUP SUPERVISOR PASSWORD POWER MANAGEMENT SETUP USER PASSWORD Load Optimized Defaults? (Y/N)?N PNP / PCI CONFIGURATION...
Page 46: Integrated Peripherals
GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Integrated Peripherals AMIBIOS SETUP - INTEGRATED PERIPHERALS ( C ) 1999 American Megatrends, Inc. All Rights Reserved OnBoard FDC :Auto OnBoard Serial Port 1 :Auto OnBoard Serial Port 2 :Auto Serial Port2 Mode :Normal OnBoard Parallel Port :Auto...
Page 47: Onboard Serial Port 1
BIOS Setup ?Onboard Serial Port 1 BIOS will automatically setup the port 1 address (Default Value). ?Auto Enable onboard Serial port 1 and address is 3F8. ?3F8/COM1 Enable onboard Serial port 1 and address is 2F8. ?2F8/COM2 ?3E8/COM3 Enable onboard Serial port 1 and address is 3E8. ?2E8/COM4 Enable onboard Serial port 1 and address is 2E8.
Page 48: Parallel Port Mode
GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard ?Parallel Port Mode Using Parallel port as Enhanced Parallel Port. ?EPP Using Parallel port as Extended Capabilities Port. (Default Value) ?ECP Normal Operation. ?Normal Using Parallel port as Enhanced Parallel Port & Extended Capabilities Port. ?EPP+ECP ?Parallel Port IRQ Set Parallel Port IRQ is 7.
Page 49: Onboard Ide
BIOS Setup ?OnBoard SC Interface* Enabled onBoard SC Interface. ?Enabled Disabled onBoard SC Interface.(Default Value) ?Disabled ?OnBoard MS/SD Interface* ?Memory Stick Set MS/SD Interface to Memory Stick.(Default value) ?Secure Digital Set MS/SD Interface to Secure Digital. Disabled MS/SD Interface. ?Disabled ? OnBoard IDE Disabled OnBoard IDE ?Disabled...
Page 50 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard ?Onboard USB 2.0 Device Enable onboard USB 2.0 Device.(Default value) ?Enable Disable onboard USB 2.0 Device. ?Disable ?Onboard PROMISE Chip* Enable onboard RAID Device. ?RAID ?AT A Enable onboard AT A Device.(Default value) Disable onboard AT A/RAID Device.
Page 51: Hardware Monitor & Misc Setup
Set AGP voltage to 1.8V. ?1.8V ? DDR Voltage Set DDR voltage to 2.5V. (Default Value) ?2.5V Set DDR voltage to 2.6V. ?2.6V Set DDR voltage to 2.7V. ?2.7V Set DDR voltage to 2.8V. ?2.8V "#" Only for GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP PCB Ver.1.1 use.
Page 52: Vcore Voltage
?CPU / System FAN Speed ?Detect CPU / System Fan speed status automatically . ?Current Voltage (V) VCORE / Vtt / +3.3V / +12V / +5V / 5VSB ?Detect system's voltage status automatically. "#" Only for GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP PCB Ver.1.1 use.
Page 53: Set Supervisor / User Password
BIOS Setup Set Supervisor / User Passw ord When you select this function, the following message will appear at the center of the screen to assist you in creating a password. AMIBIOS SIMPLE SETUP UTILITY - VERSION 1.24k (C) 1999 American Megatrends, Inc. All Rights Reserved STANDARD CMOS SETUP INTEGRATED PERIPHERALS BIOS FEATURES SETUP...
Page 54: Ide Hdd Auto Detection
GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard IDE HDD Auto Detection AMIBIOS SETUP - STANDARD CMOS SETUP ( C ) 1999 American Megatrends, Inc. All Rights Reserved Date (mm/dd/yyyy) : Fri Mar 16, 2001 Time (hh/mm/ss) : 14:44:35 TYPE SIZE CYLS HEAD PRECOMP LANDZ SECTOR MODE...
Page 55: Save & Exit Setup
BIOS Setup Save & E xit Setup AMIBIOS SIMPLE SETUP UTILITY - VERSION 1.24k (C) 1999 American Megatrends, Inc. All Rights Reserved STANDARD CMOS SETUP INTEGRATED PERIPHERALS BIOS FEATURES SETUP HARDWARE MONITOR & MISC SETUP CHIPSET FEATURES SETUP SUPERVISOR PASSWORD POWER MANAGEMENT SETUP USER PASSWORD Save to CMOS and EXIT (Y/N)? Y...
Page 56: Exit Without Saving
GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard E xit Without Saving AMIBIOS SIMPLE SETUP UTILITY - VERSION 1.24k (C) 1999 American Megatrends, Inc. All Rights Reserved STANDARD CMOS SETUP INTEGRATED PERIPHERALS BIOS FEATURES SETUP HARDWARE MONITOR & MISC SETUP CHIPSET FEATURES SETUP SUPERVISOR PASSWORD POWER MANAGEMENT SETUP...
Page 57: Chapter 4 Technical Reference
IDE4 (RAID133) VT8233ACE LPC BUS Game Port** Floppy ITE8705 LPT Port PCICLK CT5880* PS/2 (33MHz) 4 USB KB/Mouse 24 MHz ATA66/100 AC97** Ports 33 MHz /133 IDE CODEC Channels Ports W83L518D* "*" Only for GA-7VRXP. alternative "**" Only for GA-7VRX.
Page 58: Dual Bios & Q-Flash Utility Introduction
GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Dual BIOS & Q-Flash Utility Introduction A. What is Dual BIOS Technology? Dual BIOS means that there are two system BIOS (ROM) on the motherboard, one is the Main BIOS and the other is Backup BIOS. Under the normal circumstances, the system works on the Main BIOS.
Page 59 Technical Reference b. Dual BIOS Utility Dual BIOS Utility Boot From..........Main BIOS Main ROM T ype..........SST 39SF020 Backup ROM T ype..........SST 39SF020 Wide Range Protection Disable Boot From MainBIOS Auto Recovery Enable H alt On Error Disable Copy Main ROM Data to Backup Load Default Settings Save Settings to CMOS Q-Flash Utility...
Page 60 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Status 2: If the ROM BIOS on peripherals cards(ex. SCSI Cards, LAN Cards,..) emits signals to request restart of the system after the user make any alteration on it, the boot up BIOS will not be changed to the Backup BIOS.
Page 61 Technical Reference D. How to use Q-Flash? Load Main (Backup) BIOS From Floppy ?In the A:drive, insert the "BIOS" diskette, then Press Enter to Run. ?You can use the light bar to select item. then Press "Enter". ?For Example: BIOS File name: 7VRXP.E8 Dual BIOS Utility Boot From..........Main BIOS Main ROM T ype..........SST 39SF020...
Page 62 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard !!COPY BIOS Complete-Pass!! Please press any key to continue Congratulation! You have completed the flashed and now can restart system. Save Main (Backup) BIOS to Floppy ?In the A:drive, insert the "BIOS" diskette, then Press Enter to Run.
Page 63 Technical Reference DualBIOS Technology FAQ GIGABYTE T echnology is pleased to introduce DualBIOS technology, a hot spare for your system BIOS. This newest “Value-added” feature, in a long series of innovations from GIGABYTE, is available on this motherboard. Future GIGABYTE motherboards will also incorporate this innovation.
Page 64 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard I. Q: What is DualBIOS technology? Answer: DualBIOS technology is a patented technology from Giga-Byte T echnology. The concept of this technology is based on the redundancy and fault tolerance theory. DualBIOS technology simply means there are two system BIOSes (ROM) integrated onto the motherboard. One is a main BIOS, and the other is a backup BIOS.
Page 65 Technical Reference III. Q: How does DualBIOS technology work? Answer: DualBIOS technology provides a wide range of protection during the boot up procedure. It protects your BIOS during system POST, ESCD update, and even all the way to PNP detection/assignment. DualBIOS provides automatic recovery for the BIOS.
Page 66 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard 2. During or after a BIOS upgrade, if DualBIOS detects that the main BIOS is corrupt, the backup BIOS will take over the boot-up process automatically. Moreover, it will verify the main and backup BIOS checksums when booting-up. DualBIOS...
Page 67: Spdif Introduction (For Ga-7Vrxp Only)
Technical Reference SPDIF Introduction (For GA-7VRXP Only) SPDIF Introduction A. What is SPDIF? The SPDIF output is capable of providing digital signal to AC3 decoder which can support upto 5.1 speakers. B. How to use SPDIF? Click your mouse right button in “My Computer”...
Page 68 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Click “Settings” item and select the “Output Mode” item. Click “Digital” item, Line Out will be reconfigure to SPDIF Out. Recommend you to select “Autosense”, It will automatically detect the type (mono or stereo) of the audio connector that you plug into Line Out audio jack, then configure Line Out to either...
Page 69: Bios Introduction
Technical Reference @ BIOS Introduction Gigabyte announces @ BIOS Windows BIOS live update utility H ave you ever updated BIOS by yourself? Or like many other people, you just know what BIOS is, but always hesitate to update it? Because you think updating newest BIOS is unnecessary and actually you don’t know how to update it.
Page 70: Easy Tuneiii Tm Introduction
GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Easy TuneIII Introduction Gigabyte announces EasyTuneIII Windows overdrive utility “Overdrive” might be one of the most common issues in computer field. But have many users ever tried it? The answer is probably “no”. Because “overdrive” is thought to be very difficult and includes a lot of technical know-how, sometimes “over-...
Page 71: Raid Introduction
Technical Reference RAID Introduction What is RAID? This motherboard implements two different types of RAID levels as follows: RAID 0 (stripe) For capacity -- The motherboard array will be as big as the smallest H DD in the array times however many H DDs are in the array.
Page 72 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard About RAID Levels Striping (RAID 0) Reads and writes sectors of data interleaved between multiple drives. When any disk member fails, it affects the entire array. Performance is better than a single drive since the workload is balanced between the array members.
Page 73 Technical Reference Mirroring (RAID 1) Writes duplicate data on to a pair of drives while reads are performed in parallel. AT A RAID 1 is fault tolerant because each drive of a mirrored pair is installed on separate IDE channels. If one of the mirrored drives suffers a mechanical failure (e.g.
Page 74 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Creating Your Disk Array You will now use the FastBuild BIOS utility to create your array using the attached drives. There are two different scenarios in creating this array. You can create an array for performance, you can create a Security array using new hard drives (recommended).
Page 75 Technical Reference Creating an Array for Performance NOTE: This motherboard allows users to create striped arrays with 1, 2 drives. T o create an array for best performance, follow these steps: 1. Using the Spacebar, choose "Performance" under the Optimize Array for section. 2.
Page 76 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Creating a Security Array With An Existing Data Drive NOTE: This motherboard permits only two drives to be used for a single Mirrored array in Auto Setup. You would use this method if you wish to use a drive that already contains data and/or is the bootable system drive in your system.
Page 77 Technical Reference 4. Use the arrow keys to choose which drive contains the existing data to be copied. 5. Press [Enter] keys to selection and start duplication. The following progress screen will appear. Start to duplicate the image . . . Do you want to continue? (Yes/No) Y - Continue N - Abort 6.
Page 78 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Using FastBuild Configuration Utility The FastBuild Configuration Utility offers several menu choices to create and manage the drive array on the motherboard. For purposes of this manual, it is assumed you have already created an array in the previous chapter and now wish to make a change to the array or view other options.
Page 79 Technical Reference Navigating the FastBuild Setup Menu When using the menus, these are some of the basic navigation tips: Arrow keys highlights through choices; [Space] bar key allows to cycle through options; [Enter] key selects an option; [ESC] key is used to abort or exit the current menu. Using the Main Menu This is the first option screen when entering the FastBuild Setup.
Page 80: Creating Arrays Automatically
GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Creating Arrays Automatically The Auto Setup <1> selection from the Main Menu can intuitively help create your disk array. It will assign all available drives appropriate for the disk array you are creating. After making all selections, use Ctrl-Y to Save selections. FastBuild will automatically build the array.
Page 81 Technical Reference Defining Typical Application Usage Allows the user to choose the type of PC usage that will be performed in order to optimize how This motherboard handles data blocks to enhance performance. Your choice will determine the block size used.
Page 82 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Viewing Drive Assignments The View Drive Assignments <2> option in the Main Menu displays whether drives are assigned to a disk arrays or are unassigned. Under the "Assignment" column, drives are labeled with their assigned disk array or shown as "Free"...
Page 83 Technical Reference How Orders Arrays During startup, the disk arrays on the motherboard are recognized in this order: 1) The array set to bootable in the FastBuildTM Setup, and 2) the Array number (i.e. Array 0, Array 1¡K). This would be involved in determining which drive letters will be assigned to each disk array.
Page 84 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Deleting An Array The Delete Array <4> Menu option allows for deletion of disk array assignments. This is not the same as deleting data from the drives themselves. If you delete an array by accident (and before it has been used again), the array can normally be recovered by defining the array identically as the deleted array.
Page 85 Technical Reference 3. Confirm yes to the following warning message with the <Ctrl-Y> key to continue array deletion: Are you sure you want to delete this array? Press Ctrl-Y to Delete, others to Abort 4. After deleting the array, you should create a new array using Auto Setup or the Define Array menu from the FastBuild Main Menu.
Page 86 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Rebuilding A Mirrored Array The Rebuild Array <5> Menu option is necessary to recover from an error in a mirrored disk array. You will receive an error message when booting your system from the BIOS. NOTE: Drives MUST be replaced if they contain any physical errors.
Page 87 Technical Reference FastBuild (tm) Utility 1.32 (c) 1996-2001 Promise T echnology, Inc. [ Rebuild Array Menu ] The Previous recovery is not complete! <Press Any Key to Restart The Recovery> 11. Press anykey and confirm that the data will be copied on to the selected drive. All data on the replacement drive will be written over with mirrored information from the array drive.
Page 88: Viewing Controller Settings
GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Viewing Controller Settings The Controller Configuration <6> menu selection allows you to enable or disable the BIOS from halting (the default) if it detects an error on boot up. You may also view the system resources (Interrupt and I/O port address) of data channels FastBuild (tm) Utility 1.32 (c) 1996-2001 Promise T echnology, Inc.
Page 89: Chapter 5 Appendix
Appendix Revision History Chapter 5 Appendix Picture below are shown in Windows ME Appendix A: VIA 4 in 1 Service Pack Driver Installation A. VIA 4 in 1 Service Pack Driver Utility: Insert the driver CD-title that came with your motherboard into your CD-ROM driver, the driver CD-title will auto start and show the installation guide.
Page 90 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard 7.Click "Next". 8.Click "Finish" to restart computer. Appendix B: AC97 Sound Chipset Driver "AC'97 Audio Driver" under Windows ME will auto install. Appendix C: Creative CT5880 Chipset Driver Installation (Only for GA-7VRXP) Insert the driver CD-title that came with your motherboard into your CD-ROM driver, the driver CD-title will auto start and show the installation guide.
Page 91 Appendix Revision History Appendix D: RealTek 8139/8100 Network Driver (Only for GA-7VRXP) "RealT ek 8139/8100 Network Driver" under Windows ME will auto install. If you would like to install LAN driver, please refer to attached README.txt file for detail instruction. Please install the driver through CD-ROM by the path D:\Network\Rtl (This manual assumes that your CD-ROM device drive letter is D:).
Page 92 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Appendix E: Other Device Driver E-1:Promise RAID Driver Information Please refer to the detail information. Click "Promise RAID Driver Information". E-2:FastTrak Utilities Information 1.Click "FastTrak Utilities Information". 2.Click "Next". 3.Click "Yes". 4.Click "Next".
Page 93 Appendix 6.Click "Next". 5.Click "Next". 8.Click "Next". 7.Click "Next". (10) 10.Click "Finish" to restart computer. 9.Click "Next". (12) (11)
Page 94 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard E-3:Winbond MS/SD/SCR Device Driver 1.Click "Winbond MS/SD/SCR Device Driver". 2.Click "Next". 3.Click "Yes". 4.Click "Yes". 5.Click "OK". 6.Click "Yes". 8.Click "Yes". 7.Click "Yes".
Page 95 Appendix 11.Click "Yes". 10.Click "Yes". (11) (10) 12.Click "Finish" to restart computer. (12) E-4:Winbond Smart Manager for Smart Card Reader 1.Click "Winbond Smart Manager for Smart Card Reader". 2.Click "Next". 4.Click "Next". 3.Click "Next".
Page 96 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard 6.Click "Finish" to restart computer. 5.Click "Next". E-5:AT A133 Driver setup Information (This manual assumes that your CD-ROM device drive letter is D:). Click "AT A133 Driver setup Information". If you want to install ATA133 Driver, go to “Control Panel-->System-->Device Manager” and install driver by manually.
Page 97 Appendix Click "Next”. Please select the path: D: \Promise\20276\Win9x-Me\ Click "Next”. Click "Finish”. Click "Close”. and install OK!
Page 98 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard E-6:USB 2.0 H ost controller Click "USB 2.0 H ost Controller”. Click "Next". Click "Finish" to restart computer. Click "Next".
Page 99 Appendix Appendix F: Face-Wizard Utilities Installation What is Face-Wizard Face-Wizard is a windows based utility with user-friendly interface that allows users to change the boot-up logo with picture from Gigabyte Logo Gallery on web site or other compatible picture you have. How does it work? Face-Wizard allows user to select BIOS on board or file in hard drive, floppy disk , zip, MO or...
Page 100 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Revision History Appendix G: EasyTuneIII Utilities Installation Insert the driver CD-title that came with your motherboard into your CD-ROM driver, the driver CD-title will auto start and show the installation guide. If not, please double click the CD-ROM device icon in "My computer", and execute the setup.exe.
Page 101 Appendix 6.Click "Next". 5.Click "Next". 7.Click "Finish" to restart computer.
Page 102 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Appendix H: BIOS Flash Procedure BIOS update procedure: If your OS is Win9X, we recommend that you used Gigabyte @BIOS Program to flash BIOS. 2.Click "@BIOS Writer v1.08n". Press "T ools" icon. 1.Click "Gigabyte Utilities". Click here. Click "?".
Page 103 Appendix II. Update BIOS NOT through Internet: a. Do not click "Internet Update" icon b. Click "Update New BIOS" c. Please select "All Files" in dialog box while opening the old file. d. Please search for BIOS unzip file, downloading from internet or any other methods (such as: 7VRXP.F1).
Page 104 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard We use GA-7VTX motherboard and Flash841 BIOS flash utility as example. Please flash the BIOS according to the following procedures if you are now under the DOS mode. Flash BIOS Procedure: STEP 1: (1) Please make sure you have set "Auto" for BIOS Feature Setup (BIOS Flash Protection). For more detail please refer to page 34.
Page 105 Appendix (2) Select the "Quick (erase)" for Format T ype, and pick both "Display summary when finished" and "Copy system files", after that press "Start". That will format the floppy and transfer the needed system files to it. Beware: This procedure will erase all the prior data on that floppy, so please proceed accordingly. (3) After the floppy has been formatted completely, please press "Close".
Page 106 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard STEP 3: Download BIOS and BIOS utility program. (1) Please go to Gigabyte website http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/index.html, and click "Support". (2) From Support zone, click the "Motherboards BIOS & Drivers".
Page 107 Appendix (3) We use GA-7VTX motherboard as example. Please select GA-7VTX by Model or Chipset optional menu to obtain BIOS flash files. (4) Select an appropriate BIOS version (For example: F4), and click to download the file. It will pop up a file download screen, then select the "Open this file from its current location"...
Page 108 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard (5) At this time the screen shows the following picture, please click "Extract" button to unzip the files. (6) Please extract the download files into the clean bootable floppy disk A mentioned in STEP 2, and press "Extract".
Page 109 Appendix STEP 4: Make sure the system will boot from the floppy disk. (1) Insert the floppy disk (contains bootable program and unzip file) into the floppy drive A. Then, restart the system. The system will boot from the floppy disk. Please press <DEL> key to enter BIOS setup main menu when system is boot up.
Page 110 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard (3) Press "Enter" to enter "BIOS FEATURES SETUP" menu. Use the arrows to highlight the item "1st Boot Device", and then use the "Page Up" or "Page Down" keys to select "Floppy". AMIBIOS SETUP - BIOS FEATURES SETUP ( C ) 2001 American Megatrends, Inc.
Page 111 Appendix STEP 5: BIOS flashing. (1) After the system boot from floppy disk, type "A:\> dir/w" and press "Enter" to check the entire files in floppy A. Then type the "BIOS flash utility" and "BIOS file" after A:\>. In this case you have to type "A:\>...
Page 112 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard (3) It will pop up a screen and asks "Are you sure to flash the BIOS?" Press [Enter] to continue the procedure, or press [ESC] to quit. Beware: Please do not turn off the system while you are upgrading BIOS. It will render your BIOS corrupted and system totally inoperative.
Page 113 Appendix STEP 6: Load BIOS defaults. Normally the system redetects all devices after BIOS has been upgraded. Therefore, we highly recommend reloading the BIOS defaults after BIOS has been upgraded. This important step resets everything after the flash. (1) T ake out the floppy diskette from floppy drive, and then restart the system. The boot up screen will indicate your motherboard model and current BIOS version.
Page 114 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard (3) Use the arrows to highlight the item "SAVE & EXIT SETUP" and press "Enter". System will ask "SAVE to CMOS and EXIT (Y/N)?" Press "Y" and "Enter" keys to confirm. Now the system will reboot automatically, the new BIOS setting will be taken effect next boot-up.
Page 115 Appendix Appendix I: Acronyms Acronyms Meaning ACPI Advanced Configuration and Power Interface Advanced Power Management Accelerated Graphics Port Audio Modem Riser Advanced Communications Riser BIOS Basic Input / Output System Central Processing Unit CMOS Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor CRIMM Continuity RIMM Communication and Networking Riser Direct Memory Access Desktop Management Interface...
Page 116 GA-7VRX/GA-7VRXP Motherboard Acronyms Meaning Logical Block Addressing Light Emitting Diode MH z Megahertz MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface Memory Translator H ub Memory Protocol Translator Network Interface Card Operating System Original Equipment Manufacturer PCI A.G.P. Controller POST Power-On Self T est...
Page 117 Appendix Technical Support/RMA Sheet Customer/Country: Company: Phone No.: Contact Person: E-mail Add. : Model name/Lot Number: PCB revision: BIOS version: O.S./A.S.: H ardware Mfs. Model name Size: Driver/Utility: Configuration Memory Brand Video Card Audio Card H DD CD-ROM / DVD-ROM Modem Network AMR / CNR...

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Gigabyte GA-7VRX User Manual

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 Hardware Installation Process

Chapter 3 BIOS Setup

Chapter 4 Technical Reference

Chapter 5 Appendix

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